deplete
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to use up (supplies, money, energy, etc); reduce or exhaust
-
to empty entirely or partially
-
med to empty or reduce the fluid contents of (an organ or vessel)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deplete
1800–10; < Latin dēplētus empty (past participle of dēplēre to empty out), equivalent to dē- de- + plē ( re ) to fill + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To deplete is to use up or consume a limited resource. Visiting relatives might deplete your refrigerator of food, or a pestering friend might deplete your patience. The verb deplete is used like “to drain.” A long, exhausting day can deplete your body of energy and a summer drought can deplete a region’s water supply. If you deplete your body of hydration after a lot of exercise, be sure to replete yourself with a nice glass of water.
Vocabulary lists containing deplete
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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Gene Wilder (1933-2016) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s difficult to predict when these expensive issues will show up, and they often deplete emergency savings.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
However, recent warmer temperatures this winter and extreme wind events have beaten down the wildflowers and signaled that summer is approaching, which can deplete the bloom, according to Fraga.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
“One of the challenges is you can deplete these really quickly,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center think tank who used to teach at the Air Command and Staff College.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
In trying to prevent the goal, Joe Gomez picked up an injury to further deplete Liverpool's already threadbare options at centre-back.
From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026
Even the background noise of a city can impact the ability to learn and remember, and can deplete neurological resources.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
